New Chevy Volt Will Feature On-Demand Regenerative Braking

2016 Chevrolet Volt (Credit: Chevrolet)

More and more details are coming out ahead of the reveal of the next generation of the Chevy Volt. The last morsel of information General Motors has released is that the electric car will feature on-demand regenerative braking. You can see the video below that was released by the automaker, starring two members of the development team (Volt team leader Andrew Farah and GM product chief Mark Reuss) as they show off how the new feature works.

The driver will be able to select how much regenerative braking is desired. In other words, just how much energy is recaptured as the car slows can be tinkered with, which is a nice feature for people who are constantly trying to squeeze the maximum electric range out of the car. For example, setting the regeneration capabilities at their highest in stop-and-go traffic or when driving through neighborhoods where constant braking is required is an ideal time to dial up the regenerative braking to its highest setting, which actually means he would touch the brake pedal less. When cruising on an open road, the driver can just leave the setting on the default, considering that braking would be only an occasional activity.

As you can see in the video, everything is controlled by paddles mounted to the back of the steering wheel. People who are familiar with the Cadillac ELR, which is based on the same platform as the current Volt but comes with a much higher price tag and even more controversy, know that this feature isn’t new to GM. It also was on the Tesla Roadster and is currently on the BMW i3 electric car. Supposedly the feature is “more refined” than what can be had on the Cadillac ELR, something that Reuss notes while driving the car around the track.

There’s still quite a bit that’s unknown about the new Volt. We know the basic powertrain setup, but the specs have not been released. The camo in the video blocks our view of key elements like the backseat, where a fifth seat might be hiding.